Wings in the Dark

Chapter 31: The Same Page

AN:  Okay, this is the only other chapter I had sitting in my google drive hiding from you all. Next chapter is where I just picked up writing again the other week, rusty with writing Levi and everyone all over again, I'm gonna go back over it one more time and see if it needs another polish before moving onto chapter 33. I'm hoping to always have one chapter already finished while I'm writing the one after it (i.e. I'm publishing 31, 32 is already written, and I'm working on 33) just to give myself a cushion so I don't stress myself out about it.

Also, i love you guys, thank you so much for all the messages I've been getting all week celebrating my still living status and the return of the story, it made my week, really.

...I was going to make you wait until tomorrow for this, but I'm tired and I already have it all ready so I might as well just flashbang you with another chapter again with no warning hahahahaha, this is turning into a trend/pattern

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*Reader's POV*

Emery hadn't been expecting you to return so soon after the botched hunt. Your appearance at his cave had been more than just a little surprise for him–the poor kid actually tried to jump you, thinking you were an intruder, which just ended with him flat on the back with the wind knocked out of him and a resounding crack of his head against rock that actually had you checking him over to make sure you hadn't accidentally cracked his head open in the process of defending yourself. Once Emery had caught his breath again and you were certain there wasn't any blood matting the hair at the back of his head, you sat him down in order to have a precursor to the upcoming discussion. Or rather, officially give him the warning, and try to lay some ground rules on Emery's side in order to try and give Levi a bit more of a safety net coming to see the fledgling vampire.

Emery had already known that there was a human working with you, that knew your secret, so you didn't have to give that part of the explanation. Thankfully, that meant you were able to cut right to the chase and discuss why he was coming, and try to establish methods to help Emery not attack him when he came.

"I thought you didn't want him anywhere near me because you were worried I'd attack him?" Emery asked once you'd told him of Levi's impending arrival, shifting uncomfortably where he was currently seated on the floor of the cave. Thankfully, there was still no hint of offense in his tone over your continued concern for Levi's safety around him–Emery was painfully aware of how dangerous he was to humans right now, which was why you hadn't heard any protest from him about living in isolation for the time being. If anything, Emery seemed more concerned about Levi's safety than why Levi would be coming.

You didn't tell him that you were pretty sure Levi could take him in a fight easily, even with the vampire abilities, considering Levi could beat you in a fight. You would rather Emery worry and end up not needing to have worried so much, than he didn't take it seriously enough and something bad happened. This was going to be Levi's first face to face impression of the teenager, as well as a meeting that was going to basically decide Emery's future–he needed to be taking this seriously in every way possible.

Your soft sigh still echoed around the deep chamber of the cave, though you remained still in your spot leaning against the wall further from the tiny, flickering fire Emery had going than his spot on the ground. "That's still a concern. And he's well aware that I'm not happy about it, that I'm concerned about his safety, but...he has his own concerns about my safety when it comes to what I'm risking to help you. With how poorly things went last night, he needs to meet you for himself, and he's going to have questions."

"...what kind of questions?"

Emery's voice was small, and for a moment, it looked to you like the shadows of the cave would swallow him whole and drag him into the depths of the small cave system he was currently using for shelter. You weren't doing much to put his mind at ease about this meeting, but it wasn't a good thing that they were having it. Emery's refusal to really hunt had, as Levi pointed out, put you in a far more difficult position, and he needed to learn the gravity of the situation.